Man Candy Sweet Spicy Candied Bacon Recipe (2024)

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Sweet, salty, spicy, crispy, and oh so good. Give yourself a treat and whip up a batch of Man Candy Sweet Spicy Candied Bacon. #trustme

Man Candy Sweet Spicy Candied Bacon Recipe (1)

If you haven’t experienced Man Candy Sweet Spicy Candied Bacon you are in a for a wonderful treat. If you have, you know how amazingly good this stuff is and how addictive it can be! I have spent a good deal of time (not that I’m complaining!) coming up with just the right recipe before I shared it with you because I wanted it to be just right. Keep reading for my can’t-stop-at-just-one Man Candy Sweet Spicy Candied Bacon Recipe.

Have you ever had candied bacon?

The first time I had candied bacon, or carmelized bacon, was several years ago at a local restaurant with some girlfriends. I had never had it before but after the first bite I couldn’t stop myself. I came home and told my husband that I had some candied bacon and it was so goooood the look on his face was like, “You had what?!” It is a pretty catchy name and could lead to a little misunderstanding at first. I assured him it was just bacon and not some studly dude.

Make your own candied bacon

We went back to the restaurant together and he agreed it was damn good. I asked the waitress how they made it and she said with a mixture of spices and honey. I thought about it and decided honey was way too messy and expensive and that brown sugar would be a great substitute. Many trials later I am now ready to share my recipe for Man Candy Sweet Spicy Candied Bacon. It’s sweet, spicy, and savory…and completely decadent and delicious.

We even put them on our burgers and our campfire s’mores last year at our Build Your Own Burger Bar. Let me tell you…dark chocolate, marshmallows, and bits of Man Candy Candied Bacon in an ice cream cone wrapped in foil and cooked over the fire for a few minutes is Heaven. Heaven I tell you!

How do you make candied bacon?

Start with making your sugar rub in a small bowl. It’s a mixture of brown sugar, salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes, cayenne, chili powder, onion powder, and garlic powder. The perfect mix is sweet and salty. You can also use maple syrup if you prefer the taste of maple.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

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How to Make Candied Bacon aka Brown Sugar Bacon

Take a package of bacon slices, cut the strips in half, and place them on a foil lined baking sheet or baking pan.

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Spread the sugar mixture over all the pieces of bacon, making sure to cover every spot. You really want to coat the bacon as much as you can with the mixture. Bake at 350F for about 20 minutes or until the bacon is a little bubbly. The bacon should be crispy but not burnt. You might need to bake for a few minutes longer. I suggest doing this in 2 minute intervals because the sugar will start to burn very quickly if left in too long.

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Let cool for a little bit and serve in a pretty glass…or just eat right from the plate like my family does. If you take some to a good friend you will really make their day. Right, Andrea?! I have a good friend that loves Man Candy and was all too happy to be my latest taste tester.

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As much as I love eating this all alone it really does taste good in a burger or in a salad.

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Yield: 48 pieces

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 lb bacon
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, 1 tsp if you like it really spicy
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp cayenne
  • 1/4 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp onion powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper

Instructions

In a medium bowl, pour all ingredients, except the bacon, together and mix well with a fork.

Take a package of bacon, cut the strips in half, and place them on a foil lined cookie sheet.

Spread the sugar mixture over all the pieces of bacon, making sure to cover every spot. If you have enough, turn the bacon over and coat the other side as well.

Bake at 350F for 20 minutes. The bacon should be crispy but not burnt. You might need to bake for a few minutes longer. I suggest doing this in 2 minute intervals because the sugar will start to burn very quickly if left in too long.

UPDATE: I have found that turning the bacon over after cooking for 10 mins works really well.

Let cool for a little bit and serve in a pretty glass...or just eat right from the plate!

Nutrition Information

Yield 48Serving Size 1
Amount Per ServingCalories 59Total Fat 3gSaturated Fat 1gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 2gCholesterol 9mgSodium 174mgCarbohydrates 4gFiber 0gSugar 4gProtein 3g

Did you make this recipe?

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What else can you do with Man Candy?

Aside from eating all by itself it tastes great on a burger. Like really really good. It also tastes pretty darn awesome (according to my friends) on vanilla ice cream. I know it sounds a bit odd but it just works. #trustme. You can check out how we used my Man Candy Sweet Spicy Candied Bacon in this Build Your Own Burger Bar party I threw for Father’s Dayfor some very special dadsas I mentioned above.

It also tastes great in my very favorite sandwich. Click the link or picture for the Turkey BLT Sandwich Recipe.

How do you like your Man Candy?

I hope you enjoyed myMan Candy Sweet Spicy Candied Bacon Recipe. Have you ever had this before? I’d love to hear about your first time trying it. Tell me in the comments!

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Related

Man Candy Sweet Spicy Candied Bacon Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Do you have to refrigerate candied bacon? ›

Candied bacon is perishable, so it should be stored in the refrigerator within 2 hours of making the recipe. You can store the cooked candied bacon in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Can you freeze candied bacon? ›

When four days just won't cut it, freezing your candied bacon is an effective way to extend its shelf life to three months or longer. Immediately after cooling, wrap portions in plastic wrap and then in foil, ensuring a tight seal.

What is candied bacon made of? ›

What is Candied Bacon. Also known as Pig Candy, Candied Bacon is made by coating thick sliced of bacon in something sweet such as brown sugar, maple syrup, or caramel before baking until caramelized. It's fantastic crumbled on a salad or just served alongside a pint of your favorite beer.

How does Rachael Ray make bacon? ›

It's so incredibly simple! Just preheat oven to 375°F, and arrange your bacon on a slotted pan (like Rach's!) and bake to crisp for 15 to 18 minutes. (Again, if you don't have a slotted pan, Rach says you can make your own by putting a wire cooling rack on top of a baking sheet with a rim.)

How does Martha Stewart make bacon? ›

Bake the bacon in a 400°F oven until well-browned and crisp, this should take between 15 and 18 minutes depending on the thickness of your bacon. To follow Martha's method to a T, you'll need to rotate the sheet pan halfway through.

Does candied bacon go bad? ›

Much like traditional bacon, it is best to store candied bacon in an airtight container in the refrigerator. While regular cooked bacon lasts only four to five days when stored in the fridge, candied bacon will last a little bit longer — up to three weeks.

Is candied bacon good the next day? ›

Candied bacon can be kept in the fridge for a few days and reheats well in a skillet over low heat.

Can I reheat candied bacon? ›

When ready to eat, reheat individual slices in the microwave for a few seconds until warm or crisp, or briefly in the oven at 350°F (175°C) on a baking sheet. This is like candy – we love it! I use a thick sliced pepper bacon and it is so good!

Why does bacon taste funny after freezing? ›

Opened bacon can only be frozen for one month at most, and is better when frozen for shorter time periods. According to the National Center for Home Food Preservation, the high fat content can cause bacon to develop a rancid flavor even in the freezer.

How do you preserve candied bacon? ›

Candied Bacon Holds Up Well In The Freezer

When four days just won't cut it, freezing your candied bacon is an effective way to extend its shelf life to three months or longer. Immediately after cooling, wrap portions in plastic wrap and then in foil, ensuring a tight seal.

Can you make brown sugar? ›

Find yourself out of brown sugar? Don't fret — you can make your own in no time! Making homemade brown sugar is simply a matter of adding the molasses back into the white sugar—sort of a reverse refining process. Another added benefit of making your own is that you can make just what you need as you need it.

How do restaurants get bacon so crispy? ›

They cook it the best way possible, on a sheet pan in the oven. The bonus is while it takes longer to make this way, you can make more at once, the pieces are more or less flat and they come out crispy. Or they throw it in the deep fryer once it's done.

How does Hardee's make candied bacon? ›

Candied bacon is made in-house using Applewood-smoked bacon. It's then coated with caramelized brown sugar and finished with a hint of black pepper. We used a similar combination of flavors in our Candied Bacon Crackers.

How do you make melt in your mouth crispy bacon? ›

I preheat my oven to 400 degrees. Lay a cooling rack (or any wire rack) over the top of a sheet pan, and lay the bacon across the wire rack (this allows the fat/grease to drain off as it cooks). I bake it for anywhere from 15 or 20 min-ish, depending on how crispy and well done I want it.

How to make crispy meat wrapped in bacon? ›

You can wrap your food in raw bacon and then cook both together. If the main food is done first you can turn the food on its side so that the bacon is now touching the grate so that you can crisp it up. But make sure and this is important, to turn down that heat to about 375-400.

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